An Open Letter to the Nobel Peace Prize Committee regarding Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Shirin Ebadi

14 October 2003

Nobel Peace Prize to a women's right activist or a
religious figure?

Dear Committee members

As a veteran activist for women's equality, as one
who has been the subject of the Islamic Republic of
Iran's persecution and political Islam's brutality and
has devoted her life to combat it, I would like to
express my indignation at your statement regarding the
awarding of the Nobel peace prize to Ms. Shirin Ebadi.

It is said that she has been awarded the prize "for
her efforts for democracy and human rights' especially
for "the struggle for the rights of women and
children." But further down in the statement the
more specific reason for which she has been awarded the
peace prize is given: "Ebadi is a conscious Moslem.
She sees no conflict between Islam and fundamental human
rights." It is further emphasized that the
committee is awarding her the prize as "a woman who
is part of the Moslem world."

The assumptions by
the Nobel prize committee are objectionable by anyone
who has lived through the horrors of the Islamic
Republic of Iran, or has felt or seen the terror of
political Islam in the past decades. This statement is a
blow to a people whose aspirations are to bring about a
secular state, and to free themselves from religion
rule. One need not to be a seasoned politician to
understand the implications and implied meanings of this
sentence. For ordinary people in Iran who have witnessed
the support given by the West to the Islamic Republic in
one form or the other over the years, and have also
witnessed their support for Islamic states and
movements, the clear message of this statement reads
that the Nobel peace prize is being awarded to a Moslem
movement in the hopes of reforming the Islamic Republic.

For a committee whose main task is to follow, understand
and discern the movements for improving people's lives,
for improving human rights, women's rights, the rights
of children, and any disadvantaged section of society, I
am amazed that you have not followed the events in Iran,
have not heard the message and slogans of the protest
movements of the people, workers and women in Iran. The
most recent one took place in June and continued for
over three weeks. Every night, thousands took to the
streets and shouted: "long live freedom and
equality" and "down with Islamic
Republic." As it regards women, they threw off
their compulsory veils - some even burnt their Islamic
veils - as signs of protest to Islamic laws, and broke
the walls and laws of gender apartheid by holding hands
with their male comrades and dancing in public. As a
matter of fact as I am writing these lines, I received
the news of wave of demonstrations in the streets of
Tehran, in which thousands of people, especially women
are shouting "down with the Islamic Republic"
and demanding freedom. Perhaps you could understand my
indignation at your statement when you explain that you
are awarding the prize to a "conscious Moslem"
who "sees no conflict between Islam and fundamental
human rights." In explaining the reasons for
awarding a prize to a woman for her activities in the
arena of women's rights in a country where women are
considered by law, that is religious law, as
second-class citizens, where the secular and women's
equal rights movement are tremendously strong, why do
you find the need or choose to describe her as a Moslem?

There is a clear political justification for portraying
a women's rights activist from Iran, and under the
tyranny of a religious state, first and foremost, by
religion, and by describing the geography of her
activities, again, by religion. This statement does not
award the women's and protest movements in Iran fighting
for a free and better world, a secular state, and the
complete equality of women and men, but instead awards a
section of a movement which is trying to maintain the
rule of Islam. This statement, contrary to the demands
and judgements of the people in Iran is awarding that
movement which is more eager to stop the people than to
stop the Islamic state, and religious tyranny in Iran. I
believe one is justified to draw the conclusion that the
Nobel prize committee is biased and has made a political
decision to support not the secular movement in Iran,
and the so-called "Moslem world" but the
Islamic movement. Let me assure you that such a decision
is contrary to the will and wishes of the majority of
people and women of Iran who will free themselves and
Iran of a religious state all together, and will bring
about a secular, free and equal political system.

Sincerely yours,

Azar Majedi
Founder and Chairperson, Organisation of Women's
Liberation in Iran Chairperson, Middle East Centre for
Women's Rights
Editor, Medusa, the Journal of the Centre for Women and
Socialism